Spring Break Whiplash

Sorry for the silence on the blog.

Last week was Spring Break.

Enough said.

In fact, we went speeding along so fast; had so much fun; did so many things; that when it all came screeching to a halt on Monday morning...I felt like I was suffering from Spring Break Whiplash. I'm sure it's a real medical condition. If not, it should be.

It's like somebody played a cruel joke and combined Day Light Savings time, a week off of school, and two exhausted children and said, "Here ya go...good luck getting them up and ready and off to school on time" (with an evil laugh to follow).

Fortunately, the first day back was a rainy one spent inside, doing very low-key things, which helped me readjust my body to this whole "be-there-on-time" thing.

But looking back, our Spring Break was truly amazing.

Nothing too lavish or crazy. But just the right mix of excitement paired with relaxation.

Here's a recap in pictures...

Monday morning we hit the ground running by meeting my parents at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Notice how it's still dark out? We got to the park at 8 a.m.

I love how the sun is just starting to come up in this picture. Although photos cannot do justice to just how amazing this "Tree of Life" really is. It's one of the most incredible things I've seen at a Disney park. Hundreds and hundreds of animals carved into the tree at every angle.

I had done plenty of research ahead of time and it seemed like everything I read said to get there right when the park opened and head straight to the Safari ride. The earlier you can do that ride, the better your chances are at seeing the animals.

I'm so glad I listened, because even our tour guide was surprised by some of the animal sightings. It was really amazing to be up close in the open air with no glass wall separating us from these majestic creatures.

Here you can see the two types of giraffes on the property: Reticulated (L) & Masai (R)

Again, this picture doesn't do justice to actually seeing these animals in person. But we got to hear this lion roar from far away on the property and then got to see him up close. He was MASSIVE!

 

The boys were very happy with all the rides and play areas available for kids. Parker talked both grandparents into riding this pseudo Dumbo ride.

And Payton talked Brian into riding "Expedition Everest" twice! It was more than this mama could handle so I was glad Brian was so willing to go on it (along with other rollercoasters) alone.

My favorites were the shows. The Nemo show and the "It's Tough To Be a Bug" show were both fantastic!

Payton & me waiting for the Nemo show to start

We also went on the Kali River Rapids ride, but of course I brought my own poncho. And boy am I glad I did! Everyone else was SOAKED by the end of the ride!

I had to include this photo because it makes me laugh every time I see it. I took the boys to the bathroom while the rest of the adults stood in line for ice cream. We finished up several minutes before them so we waited outside the bathrooms. The boys played with this pay phone the entire time. They thought it was so fantastic! (I wonder if you can buy an old pay phone on Ebay?!?)

And of course, no Disney trip would be complete without a one-on-one photo with Mickey & Minnie. Parker was really excited and beamed ear-to-ear. Payton was less impressed but did a great job staying animated for Parker's sake. What a good big brother he is.

By the time the parade rolled around at 3:30, Parker couldn't hang on any longer and he crashed in his stroller. And I mean, crashed! He did not wake up with all the parade commotion, noise and our attempts to shake him awake. He was wiped out!

There were some really neat "floats" in the parade that were controlled by people walking in front of the structures.

And of course Mickey was at the end!

 It was a wonderful way to kick-off the week and I'm so glad we had that time with my parents. It was a memory-making day.

On Tuesday, Brian went back to work, but our fun didn't stop. We headed out to the beach the next morning to join some friends.

We were there so early Payton had the whole place to himself!

We took Wednesday to relax and pack and then on Thursday we headed up to our friend's house in Welaka, FL on the St. John's River. 

It is so peaceful there and so full of wildlife and nature. It's one of my favorite ways to really, truly disconnect. 

This is what my mornings look like up there. Coffee in hand, nothing but water & conservation out front.

We did some boating the first day.

The boys played on the tube.

Payton climbed this tree about 100 times a day.

We were so excited when we spotted some manatees!

The first day we saw a few of them swimming in a cove near a natural spring.

I could not believe how close they came to the boat!

The next day, we took out the little fishing boat which is much smaller and our friend paddled us into the same cove. Everyone got to actually "pet" the manatees! They would swim right up to the boat and let us touch them! It was incredible.

We headed back late Saturday and didn't miss a beat by jumping right back into things on Sunday with another trip to the beach, followed by a community St. Patrick's Day party. The kids had a ball running around with their friends, jumping in bounce houses and getting their face painted. It was a great way to end an incredible week.

Sorry, Parker. It was a bit windy that day.

My Superhero.

Late that evening after the kids were in bed and I had finished what felt like the 39th load of laundry, I whipped up a batch of green pancakes...because I knew I wouldn't feel like getting up early the next morning to make them.

I decorated the breakfast table with gold coins and enough rainbows to make it look like a Leprechaun had thrown up everywhere. But the kids loved it. Nothing like sugar overload on the first day back to school!

And just in case there's any confusion...that's syrup in the bottle, not alcohol. :)

Phew.

Just typing up that post makes me tired.

We sure did fit in a lot of fun in 7 days.

So now, as I sit at my desk and review the week with my virtual whiplash neck brace on, I realize...it was all worth it. Even if it does take me another week (or two) to get back into the groove of things. :)